I wish to respond to Joseph Rwagatare’s opinion which appeared in yesterday’s issue of The New Times, under the title, Rwanda’s independence golden jubilee – what’s that? I must state that I agree with Joseph.

Looking back into Rwanda’s history, it’s clear that the country lost 32 years from the day of independence. In fact, these were not only lost years in terms of opportunity; they were years of pain, death, loss and exile. There’s really nothing to celebrate come July 1.Instead, it should be a day of reflection and perhaps prayer that our children shall have a better life and make the most of what we are building for them today.Peter Kaitakirwa,Kokstad, South Africa